


Shenko Moments

by AbjectThread



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Humour, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-05 16:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15175139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbjectThread/pseuds/AbjectThread
Summary: Snapshots of a few of a few random Shenko moments during their romp across the galaxy! Inspired by a list of OTP questions on Tumblr that I've decided to use as prompts. No angst! Only happy :)





	1. Chapter 1

I saw this OTP questions thing on Tumblr and thought it would make a funny collection of ficlets to make you all giggle. Hope you enjoy!

 

Q1) Who rocks the Ferris Wheel seat and who flips out and begs them to stop?

* * *

Kaidan blinked as he watched Shepard sprint headlong through the gates of the park, laughing and glancing back over her shoulder at him with a smile so big it made his heart flip. She dodged between kids holding a balloon in one hand and a parent in the other, making a beeline straight for the biggest rollercoaster in the place. He grinned to himself. Trust her to do that, ever the adrenaline junkie, even in an amusement park.

He hadn’t quite gotten used to the jarring difference between her _Commander Shepard_ persona and her _Just-Shepard_ persona. They had snagged a few days of shore leave on Earth while the Normandy was undergoing its periodic top-to-toe structural check, and he had, after much internal debate, gotten up the courage to ask Shepard if she wanted to do something. With him.

He hadn’t exactly said it was a _date_ , but despite his desperate attempts to clamp down on the thrill budding in his chest, it was starting to feel very much like one. He had swung by her accommodation on base to pick her up, and then driven them into town, windows down and warm summer air rushing through the gravcar as they sped along the access lane. As the gravcar took off behind them to auto-park, he’d been tugged by the hand toward the gates of the park by a grinning Shepard until she gave up on him and, letting go of him, ran for the brightly colour two storey archway that welcomed them in. She turned her face back to him for a moment, hair swirling in the wind, laughter bubbling out of her as her eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. He’d stood there for half a second, just drinking in the sight of her happy carefree moment that sent a pang of longing through him. He wished he could coax that smile out at his beck and call. It illuminated her face and brightened her eyes, casting away the shadows of stress and anxiety that curved her mouth downward or knitted her brows together so often now. Her hair flashed golden in the sunlight as she giggled, mischief in her eyes before she turned and streaked away from him again to leave him dazed and alone in her wake.

A moment later, he’d snapped back to it, and was pounding the pavement after her as his own laugh burst from his chest.

* * *

It was late in the evening after dinner and the fireworks that they entered an open air pod on the Ferris Wheel. It was suspended from a single point above their heads and stretched them over the bay as they climbed up and up and up. The car was old fashioned with a steel frame covered with brightly painted wood until about hip height. After this, a kinetic barrier sealed the car up to the canopy without impeding the view.

It wobbled precariously as they entered and Shepard grinned as Kaidan’s hand snapped out to find a support on the handrail. He wasn’t totally comfortable with heights, and she knew it. And never let him forget it. He swallowed a little, but held on and said nothing as she watched. She had so badly wanted to come up here that he didn’t have the heart to refuse her no matter how unsettled it made him. As they were lifted into the air Shepard stood with her nose pressed to the barrier so she could see directly beneath her, eyes roaming over the running, shouting, giggling figures that still filled the park. The car rocked gently in the breeze as they rose still higher. She glanced back at him where he was sitting on a side bench, then in one fluid movement, grabbed his hand and tugged him to his feet. The car rocked on its 360 degree axis, unimpeded by anything aside from the single strut from which it was hanging and Kaidan shuddered. Shepard grinned mischievously.

“How can you sprint headlong into a firefight, go toe to toe with a gang of husks and singlehandedly deal several of Omega’s mercs at a time and yet also be afraid of heights of all things?” He swallowed, mouth dry and flicked his gaze towards hers.

“Um…I don’t know. It’s always been like this since I was a kid. Normally I can tune it out on missions, distract myself with whatever else is going on if we’re somewhere high up. But when it’s just us, and we’re so exposed…” he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. “I can’t help it. It just takes over my brain. Realistically I get that it’s silly and whatever but you know, you can reason with irrational fears.”

She looked at him quizzically for a moment with her arms folded on her chest.

“Well maybe you just need some practice,” she said, eyes beginning to gleam roguishly. “I could help with that you know, it really would be remiss of me as a friend not to help you confront your fears—”

“ _Shepard, no!_ ” But too late. To Kaidan’s dismay Shepard darted toward him, upsetting the balance of the car and rocking it on its axis until Kaidan had to take a few steps to maintain his balance. She laughed at his horrified expression and pale face, watching his eyes widen in discomfort.

“Shepard, really, I don’t think—” But she was gone again, appearing on the other side of the car and using her weight to swing the car along with her. Kaidan let out a strangled yelp and closed his eyes, trying desperately to keep his cool as the floor moved beneath him. He was hardly going to impress her by losing it in a stupid Ferris wheel of all things, but he _really hated_ heights. There was only one thing for it, he decided. Waiting for her to begin her next swing he lowered his shoulder at the last minute and caught her around the middle, pinning her against the side of the car and forcing it to rock wildly. He kept her there trapped between his arms, while he breathed deeply as the motion began to slow, and finally stop.

She peeked up at him with an impish smile, all contrition now she’d been caught. Kaidan wanted to be angry her, but as he looked into her light, laughing face he just felt it slip away as if it were never there and he smiled back. Shepard could throw him out of a plane for all he cared, he’d still forgive her.

“Busted.” She murmured, the corner of her mouth quirking upward some more.

“Totally.” He agreed, holding his body close to hers to keep her there. “One more goof like that and the whole crew will be finding out that you sing show tunes while you make your midnight snack.”

Her face blanched and a hand came to her mouth in shock, eyes wide.

“You wouldn’t!” It was his turn to grin at her discomfort, and he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling.

“ _Try me._ The best part? I have the footage as well. With audio.”

Her hands rose in mock surrender, snaking up around Kaidan’s outstretched arms.

“Ok, ok, big guy, you win! No one needs to see or hear that. _Ever._ ” Shepard looked thoroughly horrified at the thought. A few more moments of warning, watching her squirm in place, then his arms fell and she grinned back at him.

Kaidan flopped down on the seat to one side while Shepard stood, looking out over the lights winking across the bay and the distant shrieks and laughs of children echoing up from below. The brightly striped cap with little yellow propeller perched slightly askew atop her head and a floppy giraffe on the bench next to her that had been ceremonially named Fred because ‘He just looks like a Fred, don’t you think?’

She looked too beautiful to be real in that moment, as she was framed by the stars beyond her in the inky black sky. So stunning it took his breath away. He’d known for a long time that his feelings for his commander went a little (or a lot) beyond the superior/subordinate relationship, but Kaidan just couldn’t help it. She brought out the best in everyone in exactly the way they needed, a word of encouragement, a challenge, a supportive gesture. Yet it didn’t temper her humility or change her personality. It was simply her; uncomplicated, uncompromising, fiercely loyal.

He felt himself rise from his seat to stand nearer her, causing the car to rock a little with his movement. Shepard glanced back toward him and smiled, smaller this time, but infinitely sweeter. As if there were no place she’d rather be than standing there, floating over English bay on a cool Vancouver night. With him.

His hand slipped out of its own accord and brushed her waist with the very tips of his fingers, trailing along her back and settling on her side to pull him toward her. He was hesitant, nervous, unsure if this expression of his deeper feelings for her would be accepted. He held his breath for a few moments, exerting just enough pressure to move her closer if she allowed it. To his relief, she came a step closer and settled against his body to share her delicious warmth. They stood that way for a while, unspeaking, just watching be bay as the wheel reached its zenith. They watched the flags of the nearby moored boats flutter in the wind and the passenger cruisers glide around the bay beneath them. Eventually, she laid her head back against his shoulder, hair brushing his cheek as she murmured in contentment.

Kaidan gently rubbed his thumb across the span of her hip, revelling in the contact that was so frequently impossible on a warship. She felt so warm and solid and incredible against his body, like she was made to be there. She made him feel protective and possessive and as if he never wanted her to leave his side. She sighed a little and nestled her head closer into his neck. It was perfect.


	2. Let's get to it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt number 2! This is SFW. But still fun!
> 
> 2) Who is always horny and will have sex at any time, at any place and at any time?

 

They were in the wards, looking through the market stalls at various homeworld trinkets and delicacies when it hit her. Bad.

Kaidan and Shepard had spent a day of shore leave wandering around the Citadel, hand in hand, like a normal couple. It had been a relief after the past few weeks of blood, sweat and tears trying to bring about a summit between all the species’ leaders. Shepard had been about ready to bang their heads together by the time Kaidan dragged her off the ship for a well deserved rest and some distance from the war.

And now they were in the middle of a crowd, two of the most recognisable people on the Citadel and all she could think about was how she suddenly, desperately needed to jump his bones. A gaggle of Asari passed between them as she tried not to stare at his ass across the corridor where he stood looking at some new gauntlets that had caught his eye. Shepard bit her lip, hard.

It would take them the better part of forty minutes to get back to the apartment, and that was _too damn long_. Things were desperate, she was wound tighter than a Salarian at a Krogan convention. _Think…think, think think…got it!_

She ploughed through the Asari unheeding and seized Kaidan’s arm, tugging him away from the stall and forcing him to quickly drop the gauntlets back on the table, much to the disgruntlement of the Asari owner.

“Shepard, what’s the matter, what’s going on?” His voice was tense but she simply ignored him and tugged him toward the skycar terminal nearby. She stabbed the call button and waited impatiently as a car hovered and drove over to land silently in front of them. Kaidan looked a little startled.

“Where are we—woah!” Shepard shoved him inside unceremoniously, grinning as he landed ungracefully in the backseat. She climbed in, slamming the door behind herself.

“Shepard, please, what’s—” She silenced him with her ‘I’m Commander-fucking-Shepard’ glare, grabbed and handful of his sleeve and pulled him up into a sitting position. A moment later her knees were either side of his as she straddled him, letting out a sigh at the contact and pressing her lips firmly to his. He blinked in surprise, arms still by his sides as her hands began to move up his chest and further to rake through his hair. Kaidan managed to pull away from her for a moment, breathing heavily.

“Woah, Shepard, easy there—” Until his words were swallowed again by her kiss. He struggled to hold her off for another second.

“Shepard, shouldn’t we wait until—” An annoyed sound issued from her throat until she once more bypassed his attempts to slow things down.

He remained motionless for another moment, stunned that Shepard was making a move in a _public skycar_ of all places, until the shifted her hips against him and his mind went suddenly, completely blank.

“ _Please state your destination.”_

The skycar AI was attempting to take them to their destination.

“Anywhere.” Shepard ground out, hardly moving her lips from Kaidan’s.

“ _I do not recognise this destination. Please state your destination._ ” Shepard swore under her breath, turning to shoot the computer a dirty look.

“Fine, whatever, Chagara district!” Kaidan’s eyebrows rose.

“Shepard that’s three arms over, it’ll take an hour to get there!” She grinned wickedly, resting her palms against his chest once more.

“Precisely.”

x-x-x

Kaidan did up the last of his shirt buttons as they pulled into the street before their apartment, and watched as Shepard calmly opened her omnitool to pay the now astronomical fare. She shrugged at his look, unrepentant.

“Worth it.” He couldn’t argue with that.

They exited the car and walked into the lift located near the lobby’s entrance. Kaidan was still staring straight ahead. And really hoping he wasn’t a little cross eyed. That had been… intense.

“So that was…”

“Yep.” She flashed him a shadow of a dirty grin.

“And you just suddenly wanted…”

“Yep” It was a full on grin this time.

“Um. Ok. Well.” He struggled to produce a coherent sentence. It seemed his blood flow was still directed to… appendages other than his cognitive centres. “Maybe you could, you know, tell me next time instead of kidnapping me?”

“What, you wanted me to conversationally tell you that we needed to do it _urgently_ , in front of the very proper-looking Asari Matriarch who owned that armour shop?” He frowned.

“A codeword then?”

Her brow furrowed for a few beats as she thought, then cleared into a smile.

“Tacos.”

“…Tacos?”

“Tacos.”

“That’s your codeword?”

“Yes.”

“For ‘I want to have sex’?”

“Yes.”

“…Why?” Shepard smiled innocently, stepped forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

“You were standing next to a taco stand.”

Kaidan took a breath in to argue, held it, and then let it out in a huff. Nothing came to him.

“…Fine.”

* * *

 

Shepard looked up from her seat on the floor next to the Hammerhead where she was repairing an electrical fault in an anterior environment sensor that had been playing up of late. Steve was standing behind her, the disassembled components of a motion actuator laid out on the workbench before him as he struggled to pinpoint the source of the movement issue.

Kaidan came down in the elevator, small towel around his neck and walked over to the workout space on the other side of the bay to them. Shepard looked up to notice him shuck his heavy BDU shirt to leave just his singlet and roll his shoulders to loosen them as he made for the punching bag in the corner.

He started out with push ups, sit ups and holds to warm up, and she found it was all she could do not to stare. Ten minutes into his bout with the punching bag, she could stand it no longer. Standing abruptly, she left her tools where they lay and approached him with a single-minded purpose. He’d just pulled back into his stance for a moment after a combination when her finger snagged a handful of his singlet and she summarily dragged him toward the elevator.

“Shepard, what—”

“Tacos.” He looked at her incredulously for a moment, then a wolfish grin overtook his face.

“Couldn’t resist, huh?”

She sent him a squinty-eyed look.

“Shut up.”

Then pulled him onto the elevator, up to their cabin.

* * *

 

Shepard looked beautiful in a midnight blue dress that brushed her ankles and clung to her every curve such that Kaidan was having a hard time focusing on the party going on around him. Neither had really wanted to attend the fundraiser for the War effort but they both had their responsibilities. There comes a time when representing your race that what you do is to some degree no longer up to you. And you have to adapt, look beyond and move on.

Unfortunately for Kaidan, he was having difficulty with the ‘looking beyond’ part because Shepard looked _incredible_. She avoided formalwear like the plague, but he had to admit that when she needed to, Shepard could _really_ bring it. Most of the evening they had spent separately in conversation with dignitaries and rich patrons to schmooze and encourage donations and Kaidan was getting antsy. He had to get some time alone with her, even just a moment.

Thankfully, a few minutes later, he saw her break away from the knot of politicians surrounding her a making for the bar. Kaidan quickly excused himself, he wasn’t sure whether he’d done it politely as he had no recollection of what he said, and made a beeline for her.

His arm slid around her waist as she accepted the drink from the bartender, set it down on the bar and turned to give him a dazzling smile.

“Enjoying yourself?” Kaidan didn’t quite manage to stifle the low growl in his throat.

She raised an eyebrow archly. His hand tightened on her side, insistent and needy.

“Tacos.” He ground out.

“Kaidan, I don’t think now’s the ti—woah!” Kaidan pulled her sharply towards him, his hand finding her waist again to roll through the movement and bring her into a low dip. Her eyes widened at the intensity of his gaze, and the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“It’s always the right time, remember?”

 


End file.
